Arab treasures in Dubai

‘Muqtanayati: One Hundred Treasures’ is the latest exhibition at thejamjar

By
Nyree Barrett
13 October 2010

The Arabic word ‘muqtanayati’ is used to describe items that have a monetary or sentimental value for their owner; this week, 100 such items are on display at thejamjar in Al Quoz. Rachael Brown, one of the curators of the show, explains why the gallery went on a mission throughout the UAE to find such artefacts. ‘We wanted to show the narrative of the UAE’s community, and of all the people who contribute to society here,’ she reveals. ‘We have everything from the favourite childhood gum of a young Emirati woman to a bottle that once belonged to a construction worker. We wanted to show an exhibition for the people by the people.’ Many of the results of this open call for items may seem confusing at first – honey, rocks, and a pot? – but put them together and the collection of stories becomes quite remarkable.
Muqtanayati continues at thejamjar in Al Quoz until October 21

Object of desire
Submitted by Colleen Quigley, an American artist and professor at Zayed University, who has been
in Dubai for six years
‘The Friday market between the towns of Dhaid and Masafi in Fujairah is nestled
against the dramatic backdrop of the Hajar Mountains. Originally, the market was for local traders, but is now a bustling place, and tourists and locals both visit the open-air stalls. I was impressed with the hand-made crafts, particularly the bisque-fired money jars.
This money jar [which Colleen turned into a piece of artwork herself] focuses attention on geographic place as well as symbols of luxury, desire and consumption, to suggest the notion that modern identity is structured around the experience of consumption.’

Cooking pot
Submitted by Carolin Kropff, a German artist who has been in Dubai for four years
‘This is the pot that Mohammed Kazem
(a pioneering Emirati artist) used for the Mohammed Cooks the Shark event. Dubai’s artists often hold informal get-togethers, and at this one
a whole shark was cooked for the feast.’

Rocks
Submitted by Nabil Ashour, a Palestinian-American who works in public relations and has been in Dubai for three and a half years
’While these rocks are from Palestine, they feel like they are part of this country’s history for me as it was from the UAE that my wife and I were able to travel to my family’s homeland. So many UAE-based Palestinians are unable to live in their own country, so the history of the two countries
is linked in many ways.’

Pottery shards from Hatta
Submitted by Yvette Hope, an American telecommunications worker visiting Dubai
‘On a desert safari trip to Hatta, we saw the historic old fort and tried to imagine how different life was then compared with now. Later we went to a nearby wadi and swam in the surprisingly cool, fresh water. I found these fragments of pottery in the hearty shrubs around the wadi. I don’t know how old they are or who might have left them here, but it’s amazing to hold a little history in my hands. If only these shards could talk…’

Wedding gift
Submitted by Sonia Brewin, an English fine artist
‘My friend Mona’s Emirati wedding was amazing: there were about 900 women, all uncovered, chatting, some dancing, lots of food and dazzling jewels. I thought it was breathtaking, so different from European weddings and so empowering to be in a room with that many women, and no men. We were each given a gift; many people left theirs behind, but this tagine is mine.’

Baby carriage
Submitted by two-and-a-half-year-old Gibran, who has lived in Dubai all his life
‘When my world began, this token was given to all the family and friends
who came to visit my mummy, daddy (and me!) to wish us an ‘elf mabrouk’
after my birth. I don’t remember it so well, but am told I was very cute (‘mashalla’). My world is now expanding, but to me the most important piece
of the UAE’s history is this reminder of the family and friends who
welcomed me into the world.’ [As translated by his mum]

Honey
Submitted by Katrina Weber, an American institution manager who has been in Dubai three years
‘This jar of honey was given to me by Alam, a taxi driver who I came to know on my daily rides to work. Alam was a sincere guy, very sweet and friendly; we had a great rapport and always had very interesting conversations. When Alam went back to visit his family in Pakistan last year, he brought me this jar of honey to share ‘a taste of his home country’ with me. Sadly, the floods destroyed his family’s house and he has had to leave Dubai for good to take care of his family. I’ll always remember him as one of the bright moments in my mornings –
he was so generous and humble. The long hours he worked, the care with which he treated everyone he came into contact with, the struggle he had with the hours and costs he faced through the taxi company and the interconnection between the UAE and Pakistan makes his story part of the country’s story.’

Fox toy
Submitted by Sarah Lahti, an American professor who has been in Dubai two years
‘Every non-local resident of the UAE has a story of why they came here; every time I look at this work by Heather Muise I think of that story.
I met Heather, an artist in Dubai, in New York City in January 2003. When I arrived in the UAE a year later, she was the only living soul I knew.’

Bottle
Submitted by Elizabeth Monoian, an American artist and designer, and Robert Ferry, an American architect.
Both have been in Dubai for two years
‘This water bottle with a hand-made harness to attach it to clothing was found at an active construction site in Al Barsha last spring. It shows the creativity and resourcefulness of a labourer who needed access to hydration, but whose hands were busy with work.’